Take-up mechanism for knitting machines



March 9 A. THEOBALT 2,397,221

TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 21 1945 JIQEJ 5 IINVENTOR. I

1% WWW,

Patented Mar. 2a, 1946 Arthur Theobalt, Laurelton, N. Y. ApplicationJuly 21,1945, Serial No. 808,307 1 Claim. (Cl. 66-149) This inventionrelates to improvements in take up mechanisms for knitting machines. Theob- Ject of the invention is to provide improved supporting means forthe friction driven roller of such mechanism. The specific objects ofthe invention, its novel features and the advantages of the improvementsdisclosed herein will be best understood from the followingspecification read in connection with the accompanying drawing in whichFig. l is a side view of a embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one end of the friction driven roller.

Fig. 4. is a view illustrating the novel features and the advantages ofthe invention.

The operation and purpose of a take up mechanism in a knitting machineis known in the art. As the knitted fabric comes from the knittingneedles it is passed through the take up mechanism which exerts a steadypull on the finished fabric and conveys it out of the machine. It istherefore important that there be no obstructing elements in the take upwhich may cause uneven operation or backing up or bunching of the fabricthereby injuring the same. The invention disclosed herein prevents anybinding or undesirable friction in the running of the take up roller andeliminates damage which frequently occurs due to the manner in which.the friction driven roller is supported in prior devices.

Referring to Figure 1 the numeral 5 indicates the power driven take uproller. This is a knurled roller which may be driven by a well knownform of gear and pawl device as indicated at 6. The knitted fabric 1comes down from the knitting needles, not shown, passes around theroller 5 and then over the take up roller 8 which is another knurledroller driven frictionally from the roller 5. The two rollers pull thefabric between take up mechanism them and convey it out from the machineas is well known.

The take up roller 8 is supported in two arms 9, 8 which are pivoted onand rest upon a transverse bar Ill which is a regular part of theknitting machine. The roller 8 is held against the roller 5 by atransverse shaft l2 supported in the ends of the arms 9 as shown. Allparts of a knitting machine vibrate during the operation and in order toavoid binding or friction between the arms 8 and the roller shaft, thearms are individually a counterweight H which is hung oni and itssupport in the The shaft i2 is also loosely supported in the arms 9.

Heretofore it has been the practice to support the roller 8 in the arms8 by means of studs extending from the ends of the roller or by havingthe central shaft to which the roller is secured and withwhich itrotates extend beyond the ends of the roller and through bearings orapertures in the ends of the arms 9. When therefore the arms 9, becauseof the vibration accompanying the operation of the machine, movedunevenly, the bearing ends of the arms which supported the roller shaftwould become out of alinement and, perhaps angularly inclined towardseach other. In such positions of the arms,

the roller shaft would be caught'in its bearing v supports and no longerbe able to run true and free in cooperation withthe power driven roller.

In accordance with this invention the friction roller 8 is mounted torotate upon the roller shaft and not in the supporting arms 9. Hence anybinding or friction between the ends of the shaft arms to the rollerwhich continues to rotate evenly in contact with the roller 5. Hence anybacking up or bunching of the fabric is avoided and damage eliminated.

With this object in view the knurled roller 8 is constructed as shown inFigure 3 and preferably comprises a metal inner tube It with an outerfriction cover tube it. The roller shaft i6 is supported directly in thearms ii and is prevented from rotating therein by being flattened, forexample, as shown at H so as to rest in the bearings 88 in the armsshaft in non-rotatable hung on the bar Ill and loosely supportedthereon.

relation; The take up roller 8 rotates freely upon the shaft it throughball bearings 20, 20 in a well known manner. During the operation of theknitting machine the arms 9 are free to tip individually upon the barIll and also have freelateral movements. This is necessary in order toavoid stiffness in the take up mechanism. However, binding andundesirable friction occurs anyway because with prior, devices the endsof the roller shaft would all too frequently be caught in its supportinghearings in the ends of the arms 8. With the improvement disclosedherein the friction roller will run free on the shaft 18 even throughthe latter should become tilted and caught, frictionally, in the arms 9.

The take up roller 8 rotates at all times freely upon its shaft it inresponse to the friction from the roller 5 and its rotation is notdisadvanta- 9 is not transferred geously aflected by any friction orbinding mo a power driven roller, a second tubular take up rollerrotated by frictional engagementwith the power driven roller, saidrollers being, adapted to take up the knitted fabric from the knittingmachine, means for supporting said tubular second take uproller-comprising a med bar, a pair of ment between the shaft l8 and thearms 9. The;

disclosed device is in actual operation in knitarms pivoted on said barintermediate the ends oi the arms,. a-shatt supported in the ends 01said arms, means preventing rotation 01 said shalt in said arms, ballhearings on said shaft for supporting the roller on the shaft in freelyrotating relation thereon, said tubular take up roller encasing the saidshaft and a counterweight supported in the opposite ends of the saidarms for maintaining said tubular second take up roller in constantdriving engagement with thesaid power driven roller to be rotatedthereby.

Y ARTHUR THEOBALT.

said tubular second take up

